BY: Nick Nwaneri, Calabar
Lafarge Africa Plc, Mfampsing Plant, has signed the renewed 2022 Community Development Agreement (CDA)with her host Communities.
The CDA signing ceremony took place recently at the palatial conference Hall of Transcorp Hotels and Conference Centre, Calabar.
It was a culmination of series of stakeholders engagements from the six host communities of Mfamosing, Ekong Anaku, Abiati, Akwa Ikot Effangha, Mbobui and Akansoko.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development,Arch. Olamilekan Adegbite, said the formulation and signing of the CDA was in full compliance with the Nigerian Minerals Mining Act of 2007(as amended) which mandates Companies engaged in mining activities to take the issues of development of their host Community as a top priority.
He added that Lafarge Africa Plc Mfamosing Plant had lived up to the high expectations required of them since commencement of operations in Cross River State.
The Minister, who was represented by Engr Emmanuel Bassey, a Chief Technical Officer in the Ministry, reiterated the commitment of his Ministry to maintaining standards and strict adherence to the provisions of the Act and lauded the management of Lafarge Africa for her robust Corporate Social Responsibility programmes that are impacting positively on the people of these host communities.
The Acting Plant Manager, Mfamosing Plant of Lafarge Africa Plc, Mrs Idara Uyok, welcomed stakeholders to the event and lauded their participatory approach in arriving at the CDA document.
Uyok restated Lafarge’s management determination to leverage on the symbiotic relationship between Lafarge and her host Communities to increase her stakes in Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, emphasizing that the sustenance of the prevailing peaceful work environment was pivotal to the company’s progress and sued for cooperations from all stakeholders.
The Chairman, Community Relations Committee, Mfamosing Plant of Lafarge, Ntufam Alphonsus Bassey, commended all the stakeholders for their devoted interest during the engagement processes,noting that all their inputs have been properly articulated in the CDA as indicated by each community.
Mr James Odey,a CSO representative on the CRC and Chairman CDA drafting Committee, expressed satisfaction with the involvement of Community people in the formative stages,stressing that their choice of projects were valued based and implementation shall be very responsive and people oriented.
The event which was witnessed by Management Staff of LAFARGE also featured the signing of the CDA by the different host communities.
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